To The Female C-Drama Characters Who Inspired Us

Dear Readers/MDL’ers,

As we’ve watched numerous dramas over the years, we’ve seen all kinds of female characters: The intelligent, the selfless, the comedic, the kind-hearted, the opinionated, the loud-minded, and so many more. Slowly, we have subconsciously created a list of our favorite female leads, many of which have attributes or deeds that have inspired us. This article will shed some light on a few of the Cdrama female characters who have inspired us, helped us through some difficult times, and have taught us some valuable lessons.

These 10 characters will not be in any particular order. Under each character, we have added a few of their inspirational and lovable traits. And No Spoilers!

In the ancient world of The Romance of Tiger and Rose, there are two cities: One with matriarchy and another with patriarchy. Believe it or not, the entire kingdom and its characters were created by no other than the female lead herself, Chen Xiaoqian. As a screenwriter with endless ideas but limited time, she uses her blood, sweat, and tears to try to produce her very best work, no matter how much her work is laughed at by the director, crew, and cast.

After she is transported into the magical world that she created, Chen Xiaoqian continues to display her unbreakable perseverance and intelligence. Her first obstacle? Trying to lengthen Chen Qianqian’s lifespan, as she wrote this supporting character to die within the first episodes of the drama. Then, she uses her smarts to help out her family, friends, and the citizens of Huayuan City. Without coveting for the Huayuan City throne, like others, Chen Xiaoqian had already stolen the hearts of the citizens of the city. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Chu Chu　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Imperial Coroner “Do what makes you happy!”

Life isn’t always a sweet and lovely journey, especially for a woman. Can you imagine a woman’s journey in an ancient period, a woman who isn’t from a higher class family and also wants to make it big in a field that is meant only for men? It is extremely difficult, but that can’t halt the dreams of our female lead, Chu Chu, in Imperial Coroner. In the drama, there were many instances where she was looked down upon for being a woman coroner, but she never cared what others thought of her and pursued her job with full sincerity. She assisted the investigative journey, which was really dangerous, without any fear. She’s calm, clever, and very observant.  She is a loving daughter and sister, a trustful friend, and also a warm-hearted companion for Prince An. 

Our life is ours, and we should do things that make us happy without affecting others. Be helpful to people and also be a good person to people who treat you well. Do the things that make you happy, and live your life to the fullest without caring about others’ ill judgments and opinions!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Bai Qian　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Eternal Love “Stay firm towards your beliefs.”

Although born with a silver spoon, Bai Qian, the youngest and only daughter of the Nine-Tailed Fox Emperor, is in no way haughty or selfish. At first glance, the lesson “stay firm towards your beliefs” may not seem the most fitting, but Bai Qian is a person who will definitely do what she sets her mind on. If she is absolutely determined, no one can convince her otherwise. No, not even her parents, her older brothers, Mo Yuan, or even Ye Hua. Unlike some other characters who become a little hesitant after continuous words of persuasion, Bai Qian almost never kept herself from doing what she knew she had to do or allowing her opinions to change just because of the influences around her.

Magical powers or not, allowing others to easily persuade your opinions and beliefs, as long as they are reasonable and beneficial to yourself and the ones around you, is a major hindrance in the long run. Staying firm about your beliefs is very helpful in both personal and business areas.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Jiang Yanli　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ The Untamed “Patience is the key.”

Go up to a random The Untamed lover and ask them to list a few of their favorite characters. You’re most likely going to hear the name ‘Jiang Yanli’, also known as ‘Shi Jie’. She displays some of the best traits that a sister, daughter, friend, and wife could have: Kindness, generosity, humbleness, compassion, gentle firmness, and of course, patience. As simple as it may seem, patience is a trait that is quite hard to stick to, but Jiang Yanli displays her mastery of the trait, no matter if it is slowly guiding Jiang Chen and Wei Wuxian or helping out the other disciples of Yunmeng Jiang Sect. The times she has lost her temper are very close to zero, but she even does this gracefully and without harmful viciousness. 

Jiang Yanli, a role model for many, shows us that a key point to success is patience. If you were to choose to deal with a matter with uncontrollable fighting or thoughtful patience, think about what Jiang Yanli would do. Although not all situations can be resolved in the same way, a warm smile and some words of understanding are almost always helpful.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Gu Xiang　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Word of Honor “Help out the good, fight the bad.”

Sometimes, fighting evildoers is necessary to ensure peace in this world. Gu Xiang is a cute little girl, yes, but she also has a badass side to her. Setting off on an unforgettable journey with her master Wen Kexing, she is not fearful of anyone and faces her enemies, whoever they are, with the strongest of courage. Since childhood, she has faced constant loneliness, resulting in her dreaming of a happy, simple, and peaceful life. She is loving and caring towards the good and always opposes the bad.

The world is just too cruel for us to only be good sometimes, and we need to shield ourselves so that we can survive, especially in Jianghu (The Pugilistic World). Most importantly, we need to defend ourselves no matter what. You are your priority, so don’t allow anyone to insult you or embarrass you for no solid reason.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Sheng Minglan　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ The Story of Minglan “The plainest may bring the most surprises.”

In ancient China, the children of the main wife are considered legitimate and are ranked higher than children of concubines. Daughter to a rather neglected concubine, Minglan grows up under her grandmother’s wing. She lives in the shadow of the Sheng family, careful not to make any big mistakes or fall into any schemes that would harm her future life. But of course, she was also unwilling to get the short end of the stick! Unlike her impulsive sisters, Sheng Minglan exhibited astonishing patience. Mixed with her care for her family and friends and almost unparalleled quick-thinking, she indeed showed us and her family that some people have more abilities than they may seem to.

Sometimes, making way for the ticking clock is most beneficial to us, and even the ones around us. Big achievements are slowly built up over time, as success cannot be gained with the wave of a hand. People who seem more successful than you now may not seem so in a few years, as you may also catch up and bring them many surprises, surprises from someone they never expected. Shallow envy is never the way to go. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Chu Li　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Moonlight “Your biggest failure is giving up.”

Bright and cheerful Chu Li is an aspiring editor at Yuan Yue Publishing House. From day one, Chu Li faced numerous obstacles, from pestering superiors, authors on the brink of giving up, to a low salary which will make it tough to manage her living expenses. Some might have found it easier to quit and find another job, but not Chu Li! She isn’t afraid of these problems, and never capitulates on her passion. She worked for endless days and nights, learning from her mistakes and always listening to the advice of her seniors, gaining a respectful position in the industry. She tried her best in balancing both her professional as well as her personal life and sorted out problems with clear communication.

Remember that even if you face numerous troubles in your life, you should never give up, no matter if it’s personal or professional. Keep on trying, and perhaps, everything will work out! If you’re passionate about your job, nothing will stop you from shining besides your own attitude.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Jiang Jun　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Love is Sweet “Men and women are both capable of the same jobs.”

Cdramas tend to have a male lead CEO or high-ranked president (a cliche, we know), so it was quite refreshing to see a young woman set on becoming a well-known worker in a well-known company. An investments company, to be exact, which is part of the extremely competitive investments world, where the top companies compete to be the most successful in the economy. Jiang Jun, however, was not at all daunted by this harsh environment and was set on proving to her co-workers that she, a woman, could indeed do extremely well at MH.

Another barrier that Jiang Jun faced was her allergy to tears. If tears ran down her face, she would have a dangerous allergic reaction. As strange as this may seem, Jiang Jun’s allergy to tears actually helped her tremendously to become stronger and more confident in herself.

For everyone out there, don’t be daunted by careers that seem dominated by the other gender. Do what you set your heart on, and prove others wrong.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　Cong Rong　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ My Little Happiness “We find happiness through helping others.”

The road to becoming a lawyer is hard, and we’re sure you lawyers out there can justify this statement. This was no exception for Cong Rong. Adding on to her hardships is her mother’s opposition, as she was determined to send Cong Rong overseas to study finance. But Cong Rong was more determined than her mother and started working at a nearby hospital as an intern lawyer. She slowly gained experience as time passed by, always doing her best in every aspect. There are many sources of happiness in My Little Happiness and Cong Rong found one source through helping those in need. While many other lawyers ran away from a young girl’s problem, Cong Rong faced it bravely and successfully helped the girl and her friends overcome their difficulty with the law. The possibility of her failing seemed to overshadow the possibility of success, but Cong Rong loved being a lawyer and helping others.

Happiness isn’t only obtained from receiving, but giving contributes to our daily joy as well. The experience of helping others is truly memorable and sometimes even unforgettable.

Tough on the outside but sweet on the inside, Xie Xiang takes up all risks to never let her country down. Out of all the female characters mentioned above, her journey is peculiar. Set in a period where there are constant wars and turmoil, the country is in sheer danger. Under a big underlying conspiracy, Xie Xiang sets out on her own path. But what makes it different is that she disguises herself as her brother in an all-men school. Being in the military requires a lot of physical strength, but Xie Xiang was determined. At first, she struggled, but undergoing the heavy practice, she develops amazing fighting and shooting skills, just like everyone else. With consistent hard work and practice, she gains respect from her peers and superiors.

Regardless of what era we’re living in, what place we’re in, what profession we’re in, in the end, it doesn’t matter what gender you are as long as you have your mind set on what you want to do. If we want to bring change, no matter what aspect it is in, we should bring it ourselves.

And that wraps up our article! We hope that we get to see more female leads who inspire and motivate us in the future, no matter in what way or form. 

Thank you for reading!  Who are the female C-Drama characters that inspired you?

The angelica flower symbolizes inspiration.

^{Edited by: devitto (1st editor)}